Universal toqlheap for latjhes



Nov. 22, 1949 Filed Feb. 14, 1947 K. D. lNGE UNIVERSAL TOOL HEAD FOR LATHES 2 Sheets-Sheet l I. INVENiOR.

BY ZlarZfl e Nov. 22, 1949 K, D. INGE.

UNIVERA1J TOOL HEAD FOR LATHES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 14, 1947 Patented Nov. 22, 1949 U N 1 TE D STAT ES E '..2;489,183 UNIvEnsAnti001.Ltminlion reruns zKarl D. Inge, Roanoke, :Va. 7

, Applicationliebruary 14, 1947; Serial No. 728,631

4 Claims.

The invention relates primarily to tool-mounting-andfeeding means {for lathes, of the general type in-which the-cross-slide of a lathe carriage carries a head rotatable upon a vertical -axis, andin which said rotatable head supports a toolcarrying slide, independent feed screws being provided for said cross-slide-and tool-carrying slide. I provide gearing between/the cross-slide feed screw and the upper feed screw for the tool'- carrying slide,'t-he initial gear of said gearing being connectable with said cross-slide feed screw by means of a clutch, and the principal object. of the invention is "to make "novel provision .whereby said feed-screwmay (1;) act'only as a ,feed screw for the cross-slide,- ('2)'may drive said gearing to feed said tool-carrying slide, and (3 ).may drive said gearin torotate the rotatable head.

In such a tool-mounting-and-feeding means an important requisite is;thatthe'tool-carrying slide becapable of beingfed by either'hand or power regardless of the angularposition whichitmay occupy, and this requirement is fully answered by the present invention.

More broadly stated, the invention relates to tool-mounting-and-feeding -meansjin which a tool-mounting-and-feeding structure includes a supporting base or 'head'mountedon thecrossslide to rotate about a'vertical axis. 1 provide gearing and-driving means .therefor, and, another object is to make novel provision wherebysaid gearing may be driven to actuate the tool-feeding means of the aforesaid structure when, said head is locked 'against-rotatioir-and whereby part of said gearing may be driven to rotate saidhead of said structure,'when said headis released for rotation.

Yet-another-objectisto provide tool mountingand-feeding means, of the typeset forth in the immediately preceding paragraph, in which the driving gear 'of. said 'gearing'isthreade'd upon a feedscrew for the cross-slide. and is connectable with said feed screw:by means of a clutch, and in which said driving gear may be locked against rotation when desired; whereby said screw vmay act only as a feed scew for the cross-aslidelwhen said driving gear is locked. against rotation and said clutch disengaged, and said feed screw may drive the gearingfor either of the above stated purposes when said clutch is-engage'd.

A further object, in a-tool-mounting and=feed ing mechanism, is to provide a novel'assemblage comprising a tool-feeding screw connected with a slide-and 'threaded'through a gear,'means for either locking said screw-against rotation or for freeing it for hand rotation; means whereby said gea-rmay-be locked against rotation when desired, and-;means for driving saidgear when desired:- whereby freeingsaid screw and-locking said gear will cause hand rotation of said screw to produce tool-feeding, and locking said screw and freeing mounting-andfeeding mechanism herein disclosed.

-;Yet another object is, 1.to pr,o.vide novel means o er lockingme ro atable support nglheasl; of a-tool-mounting mechanism against rotation or for permitting such rotation.

A still further gobject is toprovide a constructiQn which-regardless of' the relatively movable elements which it embodies; will morerigidly support the tool than conventional compound "tool rests.

By embodying the characteristics outlined;-

a ve, he invention is of; unus a merit format. only performing such' "functions as those usually performed by a compound tool rest, but for radius andball turning, and irregular .forrn turning.

"Figure 1 is an elevation showing the invention as viewed from one end of the lathe carriage,

igur '2 is a tonplan, View.

:Fi ure ;3 is ,a v rtical l nsitudinai se tion ;on line '3-'-.3 of. B g-12 Fi ur 4 vis a h iz0ntalsec c2n.Qnline 4.--..4 of Fig. 3,.

A preferred constructionhas'been shown inthe ra ingsand will be rather specificall d scribeli,v but numerous variations may be made ,withinthe ene f heflinvent on a ..Q aimed-.

la e a ria e is a her dia rammatically indicated at*'5,,s,ai d carriage having a cross-slide feed screw 6 andbeing associated in the usual. Wa w h conventional carriageieedins m ans (not shown) and with drivingmeans (not shown), 7

for the. screw 16,

U n; t arr ase"5. .acr ss. slideT s m unted y o ventional m ans. Mounted onthisorossslide -for rotation about a vertical axis, isathead,

9 f p f y y n ricalf rm; m n edlqnthis head "QiS a tool-carrying slide It), the mounting means of whi h; s ndicated. at U in'FJi s. landszi and atl2 a feed screw is shown for said, slide 1.0., The slide t P erabl ca ies a suitable turre I 3 a s rl dl' t h ia ound a. laznpins stud and nut d, p ov d w th toolehp di e. and binding means, 15. mounted ifo -c r um e ential adjustment with respect to said turret. Station holes l6 are shown cooperable with a springpressed pin I! for holding the turret in one position or another. However, the present invention is not concerned with any particular means for mounting a tool or tools upon the slide Ill.

The screw I2 is rotatably mounted at one end in a bearing I8 secured to the tool-carrying slide I6, is held against axial shifting in said bearing and is provided with an operating handle I9. Locking means 120 is provided settable to either lock this screw I2 against rotation or to free it for hand operation, said locking means preferably comprising a spring-pressed pin 2| carried by a collar 22 on the screw I2 and engageable with an opening 23 in the bearing I8, suitable provision being made whereby turning of said pina quarter.

revolution after withdrawing it fromsaid open- T ing, will hold said pin retracted. The screw -|2 extends through diametrically alined bores24 and:

25 in the head 9, and said bores communicate with a central recess 26 in said head 9, said recess being'closed at its top by a covered plate 21. Two

bevelgears 28-and 29 surround the screw |2 in.- theire'cess 26 and are provided with hubs 28 and,

29,..irotatable in the inner: end portions of the bores 24 and 25 respectively, said gears abutting; the side wall of said recess 26 for end-thrust; purposes. .A. thrust collar-36 secured to the hub: 28. holds the gear 28 against inward axial Shiftingiand' the-screw I2 is threaded through said gear 28 and-hub 28'. .The gear 29 and its hub '29 have no threaded engagement with screw |2,., A sleeve 3|.surrounds screw I2, is rotatable inflthe outer end of bore 25, and is threaded at 32;; upon the outer endof the hub 29' of the gear 29. The inner end of .this'; sleeve 3| is cooperable,

with a thrust-shoulder..33 of -head 9, andthe outer. end of said sleeve is-prov'ided with a wrenchengaging-head 34. ,By threading thesleeve 3| inwardly...uponthe hub 29, the gear 29 .will be locked against rotation, and by threading said;

sleeve'outwardly, said gear 29 willbereleased for rotation. Setting of the sleeve 3| ineithereffective position orreleased-position will affect notonly the gear 29' but other gears also, as here 7 inafter explained. 'It may be here stated, however; that gear 28 is one of the gears which is' either permitted to rotate or is locked against rotation according to the setting of sleeve 3|, and it may be further explained that when said gear 28 is locked and screw I2 is unlocked at 20, said screw maybe hand-rotated. to feed, the slide I6 and'the tool mounted thereon. It may also be; relevantly stated here that when screw |2 is locked ail-26, and gear 28 isdrivenfthis gear.v longitudinally moves said screw l2 to feed slide} III by power.- 7 A vertical-axis bevel gear 35 occupies the lower portion of'the recess 26 and meshes with both. gears 28' and 29, and said gear 35 is hub-convThe cross-slide is, provided with an integral upstanding. boss 31 upon which a cap-like trunnion 38 is flxedly'threaded, said trunnion 38.

having a continuous peripheral flange 39 spaced upwardly fromthe top of the cross-slide The lower side of-the head 9 is provided with a cylindrical recess 40 receiving the trunnion 38 and its flange 39, the top of said recess 40 being in contact with the top of said trunnion and flange. A ring nut 4| is threaded into the recess 40 under the flange 39 and is cooperable with said flange 39 to either lock the head 9 against rotation or to free said head for rotation, according to the position to which said ring-nut is manually turned. When the ring-nut 4| is tightened, it not only clamps the flange 39 against the top of the recess 40, but draws the head 9 solidly down upon the cross-slide I, solidly holding said head against rotation.

In the present disclosure, two cap screws 42 and 42' extend through an arcuate strap 43 -which contacts with the periphery of the head '3. The" screw 42' extends through an arcuate .isloti 44 in the head 9, and is threaded into the ring nut 4| to connect the latter with said strap 43; This strap is provided with a handle 45 for slot 43 in-the strap 43-and is threaded into head"- 9, said screw 42' being effective to lock strap 43 or to ,free said strap, thereby locking the ringnut 4| after turning it, or freeing said ring-nutfor rotation, as desired. 5

The joining hub of thedouble-gear 35--36;is rotatably'mount'ed in an opening 46 in the caplike trunnion 38 and the gear 36 is confined betweenthe top plate of said trunnion-and the boss3l.

An opening block 4815 secured insaid opening by screws 49., Inthe upper end of this bearing block 48,

with, the large gear 36.

end of the bearingblock4'8. The cross-slide feed screw'6 is threaded through this gear and hub 5,3, 54, and oneend of said hub is provided with clutch teeth 55. f As'hiftable clutch 56 is splined at 56! on the cross-slide feed screw 6 and is formed with teeth 51 for engagement with the teeth 55.when desired. Suitable means 58 is providedIor setting the clutch 56 in either an effective or a freed position and for looking it in the selected setting.

The clutch shifting and locking means 58, in the present 'disclosure, comprises a .bearing 59' slidably mounted at 60 under the cross-slide 1, a stud 6| rising from part of. said bearing and extending through a slot 62 in said slide 1, and a.

nut, 63 on said studengageable with suitablerecesses at the ends of said slot. A- suitable coverwasher for the slot 62, is shown at 65, resting slidably on the cross-slide vLoosening of It will be observed that the gears 53, 52, 5|, 36,-

35 and 28 constitute a constantly meshed gear train from the cross-slide feed screw 6 to the upper feed screw |'2, said cross-slide feed screw 6 be-- ing threaded through the initial gear 53 of said train, and said screw |2 being threaded through the final gear of said train. It will also be observed that the intermediate gear (36) of the train is concentric with the head 9 and that the adjacent intermediate gear 5| meshes with said gear 36. Thus, dependent upon the settings off;

v 41 is formed in the cross-slide f|- anditsboss 31, and the upper end of ;a bearing 5. the previously described locking means (the screw locking means 20, the gear locking means 3|,

and the head locking means 4i), and the setting of the clutch eleme'rit56, the cross-slide feed screw 6 may act, whether driven by hand or power, (1) as a cross-slide'feed screw only,v (2 asa gear train driving shaft'for causing longitudinal movement of the upper screw [2 to feed the toolcarrying slide I0, and (3) as a gear driving shaft for causing rotation of the head 9, all of which will now be more specifically explained, as follows, with numbers corresponding to those just used.

(1) It will be recalled that the sleeve 3| is operable to lock the associated gear '29. As this gear meshes with the gear 35, locking of 29 will also lock 35 and all other gears of the constantly meshed train against rotation about their axes if the head 9 be locked against rotation by means of the ring-nut M. Then, the initial gear 53 acts only as a nut, and rotation of the cross-slide feed screw 6 by hand or power will consequently feed the cross-slide 1, and obviously all parts mounted on this slide move with it.

(2) With the gearing unlocked (by loosening sleeve 3|), with screw l2 locked at 29, and with the clutch 56 engaged with the hub 54 of the initial gear 53, the cross-slide feed screw 6 will act not as a screw but as a drive shaft for the gear train, causing the final gear 28 (threaded upon screw 12) to longitudinally move the tool-carrying slide Ill.

(3) When the gear 29 is locked and the head 9 freed for rotation (by loosening ring-nut 4|), the gears 29, 28, 35 and 36 are held against rotation with respect to said head 9 but are unitarily connected with said head 9 to turn bodily therewith. Thus, with clutch 56 engaged, the crossslide feed screw 6 will again act as a shaft instead of a screw, and will drive the gears 53, 52, 36 and 35, thereby rotating the head 9.

At any time when the gear 28 is held against rotation, upon its axis, the screw l'2, if unlocked at 29, may be hand-rotated to feed the tool-carrying slide I'll.

It will be seen from the foregoing that novel and advantageous provision has been made for carrying out the objects of the invention, and while preferences have been disclosed. attention is again invited to the possibility of making variations within the scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. In a mechanism including a lathe carriage. a cross-slide mounted on said carriage, a head mounted on said cross-slide for rotation about a vertical axis. a tool-carrying slide mounted for horizontal sliding upon said head, a carriagecarried feed screw for said cross-slide, and an upper feed screw rotatably mounted on said toolcarrying slide and held against longitudinal shifting with respect thereto; means for looking said upper feed screw against rotation when desired, releasable means for locking said head against rotation when desired, a train of constantly meshed gears between said cross-slide feed screw and said upper feed screw, said gear train including an initial gear through which said cross-slide feed screw is threaded and a final gear through which said upper feed screw is threaded, said initial gear being rotatably mounted on said cross-slide, said final gear being rotatably mounted on said head, said gear train also includingone intermediate gear in concentric relation with the axis of said head, and a second intermediate gear rotatably mounted on said cross-slide and meshing with said one intermediate gear, locking means whereby said one:

intermediate gear may be-unitarily connected with said head to turn' bodily therewith when desired, and clutch means for connecting said cross-slide fee'discrew with said initial gear, each of the aforesaid locking means and said clutch means being'settable in either an efiective setting or a released setting; whereby, dependent upon these settings, saidcross slide-feed screw may act (1) as only a feed screwgfor said crosseslide, (2) as a gear-driving shaft to cause said fin algear to longitudinally move said upper feed screw to thereby feed said tool-carrying slide, and (3) as a gear-driving shaft for causing rotation of said head about its axis, and said upper feed screw may be rotated within said final gear to feed said tool-carrying slide.

2. In a mechanism of the class described having a head and a tool-carrying slide mounted thereon; a feed screw for longitudinally feeding said slide, said screw being rotatably connected with said slide and being held against longitudinal movement with respect to said slide, a gear through which said screw is threaded, said gear being mounted on said head and held against axial shifting with respect thereto, means for driving said gear when desired, manually applied and released means for locking said gear against rotation when desired, and manually applied and released means for locking said screw against rotation when desired; whereby said screw may be rotated within said gear when the latter is locked and the screw released, and said gear may rotate upon said screw when the latter is locked and said gear driven.

3. In a mechanism of the class described having a head and a tool-carrying slide mounted thereon; a feed screw for longitudinally feeding said slide, said screw being rotatably connected with said slide and being held against longitudinal movement withrespect to said slide, means for locking said screw when desired, one bevel gear through which said screw is threaded, said gear being rotatably mounted on said head and being held against axial shifting with respect to said head, means for driving said bevel gear when desired including a vertical-axis bevel gear rotatably mounted adjacent said head, a third bevel gear meshing with said vertical-axis gear, said third gear having a hub surrounding said screw and free of connection with the thread of the latter, and a manually rotatable sleeve having a threaded connection with said hub of said third gear, said head having oppositely facing thrust shoulders abutting said third gear and said sleeve respectively; whereby rotation of said sleeve with respect to said third gear will cause such relative endwise movement of said third gear and sleeve as to tightly clamp them against said thrust shoulders, thereby making it possible to lock the three gears against rotation when desired.

4. In a mechanism of the class described, a cross-slide having an upstanding trunnion, said trunnion having a continuous peripheral flange spaced above said cross-slide, a tool-carrying structure including a head resting upon said cross-slide and having a cylindrical recess in which said trunnion and its flange are received to rotatably mount said head, said head having a portion resting on said flange, a ring-nut surrounding said trunnion under its flange, said ring-nut being threaded into said recess for slight vertical movement, a strap contacting with the periphery of said head and having a handle and a slot, means connecting said strap with said ring- 7 8' nut, said head having :a. slot flu'ough which said UNITED STATES PATENTS cunnenting means utendsghoth said-s1ot :of said Number Name Date strap and said-slot ufsaidhead extending .cir- .794 Van Haagen M 11 1873 mmnerentlallynf the latter, :and axstrap-clamp- 1 Hoepfner May 1914 ing screw extending through :said slot of said 5 1314744 Groene 1919 Strap andfllmdedmm m 214231941 Laisne July 15, 1947 D. INGE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of recurd' in the 10 file of patent: 

